Celebrating Spring's Seeds

Each day, I am amazed by the new growth in my gardens. Vibrant colors are popping. The soaking rains that come nourish the plants so they can stand tall. My Nonnie who had the most amazing green thumb must be smiling from her heavenly throne as she looks down on my flower and herb gardens. I celebrate spring's seeds in honor of her.

Other Celebrations This Week:

1. My Virtual Garden

I am excited about the growth of a virtual garden at Twitter under the hashtag #SpringsSeeds. #imagepoems there will soon be transplanted to my upcoming global spring gallery, Spring's Seeds. 

2. My Decluttering Project, Decluttering to Achieve Balance

My goal is to declutter one room at a time now that my outside space is reimagined and clutter-free.

3. My Photolog of the Spring Season

I created a short video illustrating the renewal of life around the world. You can access this photo gallery, Spring's Seeds Inspirations, here. #celebratelu bloggers, Terje Akke, Linda Baie, and Margaret Simon, have their photos featured among other photographers in this trailer for my upcoming spring gallery.

4. Poetry Friday Round-Up

I was the host of Poetry Friday yesterday and the poetry garden party is still going on at my blog site. Please gather in my garden to read through some posts and/or submit your own thoughts.

My gift to you-a bouquet of peonies and lilacs

From my post Slice of Spring.

I celebrate spring's seeds that have bloomed into June gardens.

I will be unveiling my virtual garden gallery this month.

Stay tuned.

I join Ruth Ayres' at Celebrate This Week site to celebrate the positives of this week.

Poetry Friday Round-up at My Garden

Poetry is full of vibrancy, emotion, and life's thoughts, 
fed by the waters of creativity.
Poetry is alive this season, 
like my spring gardens that are blooming. 

Poetry is the splashing of writers' words across a page
and readers' wonderings of those written words.

Poetry is honored by springtime each year.
I celebrate the power of poetry for it brings voice to the world! 

Reminder to those who are intending to send me #imagepoems, digital inspirations, quotes, or spring music videos for my spring gallery, Spring's Seeds:  I am currently in the design process so I am beginning to gather and sort through the offerings now.

To advertise the unveiling of my Spring's Seeds Gallery, I created an iMovie of amazing photographs that colleagues sent from around the world. Join me now to take an inspirational global journey showcasing nature's finest efforts to renew life.

I extend my thanks to my colleagues who sent in photographs of springtime
from the United States, Saskatchewan, Spain, Estonia, Uganda, and Australia.

I am honored to have J. Patrick Lewis, an esteemed poet, the former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate (2011-2013), winner of the NCTE 2011 Excellence in Children's Poetry Award, and one of my favorite writers, featured at my different poetry galleries and here today at Poetry Friday. After several email conversations, Pat sent me his thoughts on what poetry is, along with his offerings for the spring gallery.

Below you will find Pat's poem, Poetry Is..., that he wrote some time ago. I believe it is a wonderful showcasing piece for the Poetry Friday Round-up today. For my spring gallery, Pat said I could choose some pithy lines from his poem for a quote. "A blind date with enchantment" is one of the lines that resonates with me. It is filled with wonder, just like the season of spring. I may not know what to expect of spring each day but I am open to its delight no matter what it offers. Pat has opened my eyes to an array of amazing images that pop out of his poems, starting with the one below.

Let's welcome Pat to Poetry Friday and stay tuned for the unveiling of Spring's Seeds Gallery where you will Pat's poems and some of the Poetry Friday writers' as well.

J. Patrick Lewis at NCTE 14

Poetry Is…

by J. Patrick Lewis

the tunnel at the end of the light.

commotion in the left field stanzas.

frosted fire.

the great flywheel of metaphor.

prose, bent out of shape.

the idiom of the djinns.

experience’s armor against oblivion.

the midwife at the birth of the alphabet.

perfect verbs hunting elusive nouns.

an antidote for the adjective-itis.

words on a busman’s holiday. 

a ladder to the castle in the air.

a blind date with enchantment.

the sound of silence…amplified.

You can also access other delightful poems by Pat at Spring's Seeds when I unveil the gallery. I thank Pat, for providing the world with his inspiring voice and always supporting my efforts. 

At Poetry Friday today you will be treated to a potpourri of poetry entries. They will sprout and spread as writers write and readers read. Enjoy each fragrant delight in my Poetry Friday Round-up garden and stay tuned for the unveiling of my virtual garden, Spring's Seeds.

Please add your Poetry Friday link-up below using the digital tool, Mr. Linky.

Finding Balance in Life

Have you stopped to think about the pace at which life is moving? It seems to be a topic of conversation lately. More and more people are multi-tasking to get the most out of their days as they try to keep the balance between home and work. Is this a healthy course of action for us to take?

Articles published on this topic warn us that our brains can't process as many tasks as we think we can. Author Guy Winch states, "When it comes to attention and productivity, our brains have a finite amount." In order not to feel overwhelmed, we need to mindfully process any information needed to accomplish our tasks.

Life is a balancing act with family and home life on one side and work life on the other. Being mindful and having a positive attitude is one way to find inner peace to deal with life's challenges and joys. What else is needed to find life balance? 

ESSENTIAL TIPS:

1. Maintain a Positive Outlook

Being in the positivity zone allows you to take a fresh look at life and diffuse the negativity that may surround you. 

2. Prioritize 
While an endless to do list may be what you think you need, prioritizing one or two tasks is a better option for each day with a long term goal for the week. 

3. Be Mindful-Stay in Moment

It is better to concentrate on one activity or thought than to multi-task. Taking breaks to breathe in the fresh air and relax the mind is helpful when the work load or family chores are more than usual.

4. Plan Quality Time with Family and Friends

Build in time for activities that develop relationships. Family dinners, outdoor   activities, and mini-excursions that involve talk and relaxation time are important.

5. Enjoy Humor

Laughter has been reported to be a powerful medicine to reduce stress. Keep the humor and lightheartedness flowing to create a balance in your mood that will fortify your emotional health.

5. Reflect

The process of noticing and wondering in life is a way to refresh your mind and allow for reflective thinking time to de-stress. Take a walk, pay attention to your surroundings, and listen to nature's sounds to bring a sense of peace and calmness to your day. 

Balancing life takes skill.

Are you ready to take on the challenge?

As you release stress, you restore your sense of balance.

A Slice of Spring

The fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, 

a rare fusion of fluff and majesty,

 the peony is now coming into bloom.
–Henry Mitchell, American writer

I wake to morning speaking softly in the sunshine of the day. My garden calls. The buds of May have blossomed and the green cover of pollen covers the driveway. There is a richness existing in the chocolate munch that scents the air and the flowers co-exist in peace as they wake from their beds.  

And the wind upon its way whispered the boughs of may,
And touched the nodding peony-flowers to bid them waken.

-Siegfried Sassoon

While the peony blossoms have said goodby to their flowering friends, their memory lasts and their bountiful green leaves continue to grace my garden. The other flowering beds are lifting their new buds in an organized design to bring a sense of calm, order, and peace to the day. As I stroll through the paths I created, memories of a summer garden so lush and fragrant are resurrected. My mind does not forget the days of childhood meandering through my Nonnie's gardens, whiffing each fragrant blossom on summer days. With all this in mind and wishing to share the joy of my flowering gardens, I send a morning bouquet out to the world. Spring is ready for the blossoms of summer to replace its gift of renewal and I am ready to begin the design process of my virtual garden gallery, Spring's Seeds. 

If you wish to send in an offering for Spring's Seeds Gallery, 

please do this week.

I offer this slice of spring to Two Writing Teachers for their Slice of Life this Tuesday morning. 

Decluttering To Achieve Balance

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of clutter? 

There are periods in my life that my house gets cluttered and it just begs for a good "spring" cleaning. Piles of paper from a variety of unfinished tasks just sit waiting for a friendly hand to whisk them away into filing cabinets. Other piles just lay in wait as new projects get underway. Clutter seems to bring on more clutter and that seems to transfer over to my calendar that has its share of too many events crowded into a short space. When all of this occurs an intervention is necessary so that order and balance can be restored.

There are so many declutter experts on television these days who work their magic. I have gathered a few ideas on how to bring about order in a more efficient manner. My choice of life hacks to declutter are:

#1: Engage in Reflaction

Reflection with POSITIVE action (a term coined by two educator friends, Cory Radish and Scott Totten) is needed to start my "spring" cleaning process. Goal setting is essential.

#2: Sort and Organize

Divide and conquer the clutter. Set up three strategic areas: For Trash, For Storage, For Immediate Handling. Use the Three Second Rule to rid myself of unwanted items that are not important. Create specific areas or compartments for items that I want to keep.

#3: Step Back, Reflect on Accomplishments, Celebrate

Did I remember to relax with the process because some jobs are quick and others are meant to be conquered in small steps. Applaud the positive thinking and stamina needed to persevere.

Just as we declutter our home, garden, and office, I learned we must declutter our minds to keep balance and peace in sight. Reducing the information intake to allow for periods in the day just to relax is key. 

My Reflaction: Now that my outdoor space has been reimagined and is clutter-free, I commit to bring balance to my indoor space.

With that said, I am off to simplify my life with some life hacks thanks to Margaret Simon at DigiLit Sunday who suggested the topic of decluttering. 

Celebrate Gardening

Nature is at peace in my garden.

My meditation garden was created as a resting place to find peace and balance in my life. It was first designed on the site of a miniature house right before my daughter's prom. It has grown in its design over the years. 

This week between the professional development sessions I facilitated and life tasks, I found the time to work with my gardener/landscaper, Matt, on embellishing this site. My wish for various colored perennials that would co-exist in the garden space with the other foliage and flowering plants was realized by the end of the week. 

In between the inception of the idea and the final planting there were intermediary steps: speaking with Matt, visiting the local nursery with my husband, choosing around eleven plants that could work. Since I am only an amateur gardener, I needed to leave the real planning to Matt who knew which plants that I chose would be the ideal ones for the new design. 

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Tonight, I celebrate the new layout, the beautiful perennials, and the peaceful spaces of blooming plants that were created around my house  (referred to as Carol's botanical garden). Not only do the gardens look beautiful but the chocolate mulch that covers them smells delicious.

I celebrate gardening tonight after having a wonderful spring evening dinner with friends on my patio overlooking my herb and meditation gardens. 

In my garden area, I can distance myself from the chattering of the world and become mindful about life. I can slow down, listen, and just relax. My garden is my go to place to celebrate life. What is your favorite spot to relax in peace?

Please visit Ruth Ayres at Celebrate This Week, a place where weekly celebrations are posted by the blogging community. 

Joyful Poetry

When you bring the spirit of poetry from the poet's heart to the outside world, it causes a positive stir. Raining Poetry is a poetry project unlike others that brings the joy of poetry out onto the sidewalks of Boston. Mass Poetry and the City of Boston partnered to paint the city's pavement with poems "using a biodegradable water-repellant spray and stencils made by local artists." When it rains or the pavements gets wet, stenciled poems by Boston-based writers, like Langston Hughes and Barbara Helfgott Hyett, are visible. 

You can read about the special project that was carried out by local artists and Lesley University College of Art and Design students here. Boston's Poet Laureate and Lesley University professor, Danielle Legros Georges, thinks highly of the project that  she says "is a wonderful way to bring poetry to the people."

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If I could paint a block of a sidewalk with a poetic thought, it would be to remind all to seek the positives in life.

Breathe in

the fragrance of life.

Let petals of positivity

surround you as

you take on a

new day.

©Carol Varsalona, 2016

You can read one of Danielle Legros George's inspiring poems below.

"The arts create powerful pathways that allow us to reach all kids of learners."

~Danielle Legros Georges

What are your thoughts on joyful poetry? 

Join the Poetry Friday Round-up at my colleague Jone MacCulloch's blog, Check it Out.  

Yesteryear Memories

Traditionally on Memorial Day, our friends gather together to celebrate the start of the summer season. Warm greetings, friendly conversations, and a barbecue at the Rockville Links always make for a festive occasion that usually centers on past memories and family news. Friendships developed over the past thirty years remind us of the strong bond that exists among our group of friends.

Despite the grayness in the sky, the weather cooperated enough to allow us to stroll outside on the grounds as we remembered so many good times over the years. The addition of a firepit overlooking the golf course provided a new venue to relax while recalling our memories: swim meets, championships, sportsmanship awards, and countless dinners and barbecues. Years flashed before us as my family and friends talked about the many good times. 

Then, the conversation drifted back to why we were gathering together. While Memorial Day is the day to kickoff the summer season, it is also a day to honor the past and the many American heroes. Our conversation led to talk of battles that the older generation witnessed, medals won, and ceremonies that celebrate heroism.

My son and I spoke of his Grandpa Manny, a simple man with a big heart who cared deeply for his family and his country. Life in the early part of the 20th Century was different than today for this man. Because of his commitment to family, when Manny's father was killed he had to leave school at the end of 8th grade to become the breadwinner of the family. Shortly after that time in his life, World War II began and many young men rushed to enlist. Manny chose the Navy because he heard that the food was better. We laughed about that and my husband added that his father was not even a good swimmer. Manny's naval career took him around the world and opened his eyes to places that a young man from Brooklyn had never thought he would see in his lifetime. Conversation then moved to another New Yorker whom we refer to as Uncle Horace. While in his nineties, Uncle Horace remains sprite and always recounts for us the many honors he received as a veteran. Two men with two stories about being part of the American experience brought us back to a focal point of our Memorial Day gathering.  

One story led to another during yesterday's barbecue. The day ended with another memory being established for the start of the 2016 summer season. 

What memories did you make this Memorial Day Weekend?

Join the Tuesday Slice of Life at Two Writing Teachers to read a variety of slices.

Time Honored Tradition

Memorial Day is the traditional day to honor American heroes who have perished serving the United States. It is also a day to celebrate with family and friends the bonds that keep America strong. 

Day opens to the sounds of soft chirping

breaking the silence of the night that 

turns gray in the morning shadows.

As light tries to break through,

sounds of freedom ring

across the land.

Voices sing

loud and

clear.

We remember!

Live your life with conviction as those who have come before us.

Memorial Day is the day to celebrate what America offers.

Happy Memorial Day

Enjoy the Memorial Day Holiday. Do you have a Memorial Day tradition? I started a new one two years ago, writing a poem for each Memorial Day. Last year's poem can be accessed here and my 2014 poem here.

Thank you for joining my Poetry Parade 

as I salute American heroes today.